NATION/WORLD

Pope Francis signed a decree May 9 recognizing a miracle attributed to the intercession of Pope Paul VI, who led the church from 1963 to 1978, and authorized publication of an Oct. 19 beatification date, according to a Vatican statement. The miracle involved the birth of a baby in California in the 1990s.

The Federal Communications Commission plan on net neutrality has drawn criticism from many, including now-retired Archbishop George H. Niederauer of San Francisco.

Fleeing conflict and violence back home, refugees from Syria and Iraq praised the Catholic humanitarian agencies helping them to cope with their trauma while starting a new life in their adopted safe haven of Jordan. Living became impossible in Ahmed's northern Syrian city of Aleppo because of constant fighting and government bombardments.

To honor the sacrifice of those killed for their faith in the 20th century, Christians today must renew their commitment to reconciliation and full Christian unity, Pope Francis

The future of humanity depends on economic policies that protect the environment, support human dignity and promote justice, said several participants at a Vatican symposium. People need to understand the severe consequences of degrading and outstripping the world's natural resources and to take responsibility for reversing the damage.

Religious groups in Nigeria's northeastern Borno state have organized prayer sessions and other activities to support the rescue of kidnapped schoolgirls. Groups had increased their prayers after about 200 villagers were killed in the state earlier in the week.

Training of pastoral leaders and provision of most other resources for Hispanic ministry aren't keeping up with the fast-approaching time when Hispanics will make up the majority of Catholics in the United States, according to a new report.

Christianity is not a school of ideas or a collection of beautiful temples and lovely art; it is a living people who follow Jesus and give witness to him every day, Pope Francis said.

The head of the Vatican's doctrinal office rebuked officers of the Leadership Conference of Women Religious for honoring a Catholic theologian whose work was judged "seriously inadequate" and for promoting futuristic ideas he described as "opposed to Christian revelation."

The Supreme Court ruled May 5 that prayers said before town council meetings in Greece, N.Y., do not violate the Constitution. In their 5-4 decision, the judges noted a historical precedent to opening local legislative meetings with a prayer and stressed that the predominantly Christian nature of the prayers in the New York town were not coercive to those in attendance.